Wire fence



(mum 1. M. WARNER.

WIRE FENCE. No. 572,322. Patented Dec. 1, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC M. \VARNER, OF BATAVIA, MICHIGAN.

WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,322, dated December1, 1896.

Application filed October 5, 1895.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC M. WARNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Batavia, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Wire Fence, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to wire fences, and has for its object to providesimple and efficient means for securing and retaining the desiredtension of the runners without risk of fracture caused by changes oftemperature, and, furthermore, to provide an improved stay forconnecting the runners and means for connecting said runners to thestay.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a fence constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of a stay. Fig. 3 is a detailview in perspective of the ten-- sion device with the parts detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawlngs.

l designates the runners connected by stays '2, each runner beingprovided at an intermediate point with a tension device 3. In theconstruction illustrated in the drawings the tension device comprises aspring 4:, connected to theterminal of one portion of the runner, a drumor spool 5, connected to the extremity of the other portion of therunner whereby the runner may be reeled thereon suliiciently to securethe desired tension, and a shoe 6, connected by means of a yoke 7 withthe con- 'tiguous extremity of the tension-spring 4.

The drum or spool is provided at its extremities with ratchet-disks 8,which bear against the shoe 6, said shoe being provided with a seat 9,terminating at its lower end in an offset or projection 10 to engage theteeth of the disks and hold the drum or spool from backward rotationwhen it has been turned to increase the tension of the runner. The

yoke or loop by which the shoe is connected to the extremity of thetension-spring passes between the ratchet-disks with its arms upon$erial No. 564,806. (No model.)

opposite sides of the drum or spool. The drum or spool is provided withan angular stud or wrench-seat 11, by means of which it may be turnedwhen necessary to adjust the tension of the wire.

The stay by which the runners are connected is constructed of a blank ofrod or wire doubled upon itself at a point between its extremities toform a loop 12, through which the uppermost runner extends, said stayhanging upon said runner, and the extremity of the short arm of the loopis doubled upon itself to form a hook 13, which engages an intermediaterunner, preferably the run ner below that which forms the uppermostmember of the fence.

Coiled upon the straight portion of the stay below the loop is atie-wire 14, by which the hook at the extremity of the short arm of theloop formed in the stay is secured to the runner which it engages, thelower extremity of the straight portion of the runner being fastened tothe lowermost runner by means of the same tie-wire. The intermediateportion of the tie-wire being coiled'around the straight body portion ofthe stay engages the intermediate runner or runners and thus securesthem against lateral vibration, and at the same time allows sufficientvertical movement to prevent breakage when strained. Afurther advantageof the coiled tie-wire is that it need not be constructed to suit thenumber of runners in the fence. Said runners may be arranged at anydesired intervals, and they will that the various runners of the fenceare oapable of vertical movement without affecting the strength of thestructure by reason of the tension device arranged at intermediatepoints thereof, and the loops at the upper ends of the stays provide forfree vertical movement of the uppermost runner, as when strained by theheads of stock, without communicating movement to the other parts of thefence. In the same way the intermediate runners may be strained and willbe returned by the parts of the stay'to their proper positions.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a fence, thecombination with a runner, of a drum or spool connected to one end ofthe runner and provided With ratchet-disks, a tension-spring connectedto the other extremity of the runner, a shoe having a seat bearingagainst the ratchet-disks and provided with a projection or shoulder toengage the teeth thereof, and a loop or yoke connecting the shoe to theadjacent extremity of the tension-spring, said loop or yoke beingarranged between the planes of the ratchetdisks with its arms uponopposite sides of the drum or spool, substantially as specified.

2. In a fence, the combination with runners, of a single blank stayintersecting the runners and doubled upon itself near its upper end'toform a loop extending over and engaging the uppermost runner, the shortarm of the loop terminating in a hook engaging the upper intermediaterunner, and a continuous tie-Wire coiled upon the lower single portionof the stay and securing the runners thereto, the intermediate runnerswith the exception of that with which said hook is engaged being capableof vertical movement independently of the stay by reason of the coiledtie-wire, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC M. WARNER. \Vitnesses:

ELMER E. PALMER, 13. O. THORPE.

